11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin

Discover the cultural and natural treasures of the Vietnam Northwest mountainous areas. These are the least traveled areas in the North of Vietnam and promise to offer local cultural immersion in the remote areas that is home to many ethnic minority people. During this 11 day tour, you have the opportunity to meet some of the 52 Ethnic Minority tribes that live in Northern Vietnam. Each tribe has its own dress code, style of house building, culture, language and way of life. Your first stay in the mountains will be at the village of Vu Linh where you will meet people of the Dzao tribe. Other overnight stays will be with host families in their commnunity. Other tribes you will meet along your journey include Tay, White H'Mong and Nung. As well as having the unique experience of meeting people from the ethnic minority groups of Vietnam, you will also be amazed at the splendour and beauty of the landscape of the districts of the Northwest. Two highlights are the mountain ranges of Ha Giang, the northern most province on Vietnam and Ba Be National Park where you will see Vietnam's third largest lake. En route to the villages, you will be able to take short treks, see the local foliage and enjoy the fresh crisp air of the unpolluted highlands. There will also be time built in for relaxing and simply doing your own thing. And of course no trip to the North of Vietnam would be complete without a visit to the capital city of Hanoi, where you can enjoy the high energy of the Old Quarter with its narrow streets and vibrant street vendor culture. You can relax by the lovely Hoan Kiem Lake and visit some of the cultural highlights of this beautiful city.

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 1

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 2

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 3

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 4

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 5

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 6

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 7

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 8

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 9

11 Days - Interaction with The Ethnic Minority of Tonkin 10

Day 01: Hanoi
Your arrival at the Noi Bai International Airport marks the start of your tour. Our guide is waiting to welcome you and take you into Ha Noi, the 1000-year-old capital city of Vietnam, and the commercial, political, and cultural heart of the country. We will adapt your tour program based on your arrival time at Hanoi.

The city tour of Hanoi starts with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – the final resting place of the Vietnamese great father or ‘Uncle Ho’, the Museum all set in pretty gardens. We will then take on a drive to visit the Temple of Literature. Built in October 1073 to worship Confucius, it is the first known university in Vietnam.

You also will get a chance to explore the fascinating multi-color features of 54 ethnic groups in the Vietnam Ethnology Museum. A shift from a historical to spiritual setting takes us to the Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in Hanoi. You are free to relax or explore on your own in the evening. Overnight at Old Quarter Hotel in Hanoi

Day 02: Hanoi – Vu Linh
Depart for Yen Bai Province, 250km west of Hanoi where you have the opportunity to take a dip in the Thac Ba Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Vietnam. Discover the local culture of the Dao people. You will stay in La Vie Vu Linh, an eco-lodge on the north side of Thac Ba Lake. This is a sustainable development project in four areas: Culture, education, environment and tourism.

Arriving in the Vu Linh commune, you will board a small boat on Thac Ba Lake to go to Vu Linh village located on the Dao Quan Trang (pronounced “Zao Quan Tchang”) ethnic lands. From this small lakeside village you can enjoy the majestic view of the mountains that encircle Thac Ba Lake. Lunch will be served on the way.

In the afternoon, we continue our boat trip on the lake en route to one of the islands, where we take a beautiful walk up the hillside to get a panoramic view of the lake before returning to La Vie Vu Linh for dinner. Overnight at ethnic homestay

Day 03: Vu Linh
After breakfast, we go on a tour in Ngoi Tu village to discover the different plants and to meet the Dao ethnic people and experience some of their colorful lives. The village is surrounded by rice fields and you will learn many useful facts about the local plants and meet the villagers during their seasonal activities.

Our staff will bring you to the beautiful places that only the villagers know about. Stop by Mrs. Nhat’s family stilt house and receive a warm welcome. You can relax with a cup of tea and learn more about the people of this village and the region. We then return to La Vie Vu Linh for the second night of your stay. Overnight stay in Vu Linh

Day 04: Vu Linh – Ha Giang – Me Village
After breakfast, we leave Vu Linh and travel to the province of Ha Giang. Ha Giang is truly breathtaking and covers the most northerly and most remote area of Vietnam. We will stop for lunch on the way. There are many ethnic minority villages of the Pa Then people along the spectacular road that leads from Bac Quang district to Ha Giang. You have the opportunity to meet many local people in Ha Giang. Finally, we arrive at the village of Tha where you will have dinner with the host family. Overnight stay in Tha village

Day 05: Ha Giang – Yen Minh
After breakfast, we start a soft trek to explore and learn about the local life of the Tay people. We then board a bus to go to the northern district and to Yen Minh via Quan Ba pass. En route, you can enjoy the spectacular natural landscape of Quan Ba. Visit the villages of White Hmong and Dao people. Overnight stay in Yen Minh

Day 06: Yen Minh – Dong Van
In the morning, visit the local market in Yen Minh, a lively place where the locals buy and sell handicrafts of many ethnic minorities of the region. Leaving Yen Minh, we head for Dong Van. The itinerary today offers many opportunities to explore and relax at your leisure.

However, there are some planned events including, visiting a Hmong village. The village of Pho Cao is the typical of the Hmong tribe. Discover the beautiful architecture of the old houses of the Hmong and Lolo people before leaving for the Vuong's Palace. The building used to belong to a King of the Hmong people during the French domination. The palace attracts keen interest from architecturally minded visitors due to its mixed style of European and Chinese architecture.

We have dinner in Dong Van and stay there overnight. Remember to charge the batteries on your cameras as tomorrow offers opportunities of photographing many more places that are beautiful. Overnight stay in Dong Van

Day 07: Dong Van – Meo Vac – Bao Lac
After breakfast, stroll out to the Dong Van Old Streets to see the old houses of the Hmong built centuries ago of clay bricks and tile roofs that are located near the market.

We will leave Dong Van, where we climb over the Ma Pi Leng Pass, along the zigzagged roads where we can enjoy the awesome mountain ranges and the Nho Que River. Ma Pi Leng is one of the best photo opportunities that this area has to offer. View the vast limestone mountain range and perpendicular walls of rock as we drive along the winding road. A further 15 km and we visit the village of Dao "Ao Dai" and Sung Mang before stopping for lunch at Lung Phin. Then onto the Bao Lac district where we visit the Nung before checking into the hotel and have dinner. Overnight stay in Bao Lac

Day 08: Bao Lac – Ba Be – Pac Ngoi
The destination on Day-8 is the Ba Be National Park, which is known as the "Green lung of the Northeast". Ba Be Lake is the third largest lakes in Viet Nam with an area of 500 hectares. Limestone Mountains around the Lake are covered with the bio-diversified tropical forests. The lake is also near rivers and waterfalls that make perfect opportunities for taking pictures.

Taking a paved road, we walk up the hillside to the south of the lake to reach the village of Pac Ngoi, home to the Tay people. After settling into your overnight stop at Pac Ngoi, you will spend the night with the locals and learn about the Tay people's customs. Overnight in Pac Ngoi

Day 09: Pac Ngoi Village
Explore the Ba Be Lake on a boat trip. Admire the tranquil landscape of corn farm and stilt houses of the Tay community. You can walk to the village of the Nung people and see the waterfall of Dau Dang. Overnight stay in Pac Ngoi village

Day 10: Pac Ngoi – Ha Noi
After breakfast, we drive to Hanoi enjoying a stop for lunch along the way. Once you arrive in Ha Noi, you will be free at leisure to do whatever you choose. Stay at Hanoi Old Quarter Hotel in Ha Noi

Day 11: Hanoi – Departure
On the day of your departure, you are free to shop, relax and do whatever you would like at your own leisure until your transfer time to the airport. End of our service

Why travel with us ?
- Personal attention to detail by all Ethnic Voyage staff from the time of your initial enquiry through to the end of your tour
- 24 hour support available during the tour
- Enjoy the degree of historical and cultural information throughout your tour from our local and knowledgeable tour hosts to the degree that you and your group are interested.
- We focus on sustainable tourism by creating the very best experience for you as the tourist while supporting our local environment and local people
- Get local price and local experience like no other

Private Holidays off beaten paths in Vietnam

Book this trip Customize this trip